75 % Of Job Success Predicted By Three Things

April 9, 2017

In Before Happiness, Shawn Achor reminds us that “75 % of job success is predicted by three things (aside from intelligence): belief that your behaviour matters, social support and the ability to view success as a challenge instead of a threat.”

It gives those who are thinking about transition some excellent questions to ask as part of their planning process:

Before Transitioning, Evaluate YourCurrent Job:

· What have been the most meaningful experiences in my current role and my previous jobs. What patterns do I notice? Is it possible to modify how I do my current job to incorporate these patterns?

· Is there a way I can bring more support from others internally or externally to assist in what I do in my current job?

· Do I actively look at the benefits of the stress I am currently experiencing? As Shawn Achor points out, many people feel that the stress should be reduced or eliminated. Yet, Achor describes how stress on the job can have important benefits. The process of identifying how the stress is pulling you forward can often change your perception of the entire job. It is easy to feel overly stressed if you think it should not be there in the first place and that it should be fought, stamped out or reduced.

Planning Your Transition

· What roles in my past jobs brought the most meaning into my life?

· What does this tell me about the kind of work I want to do next and the specific strengths, that I want to mobilize?

· What is the kind of work culture where I will flourish?

Choosing Between Job Offers

· Does the job offer opportunities to do things that really matter to me?

· Does the job offer the flexibility to include others in the planning and delivery of my work?

· Am I mentally positioned to begin seeing the benefits of the stress I might experience?

Our experience shows that the best job offers and the most successful career transitions are based on the development and application of a powerful career life statement, which guides every step of your search. Achor’s book is full of good ideas that help those in transition tease out what is likely to bring them happiness in their work and life from what won’t. Including these ideas as you think out your career-life statement will advance you in your career in the right direction.

Wayne Greenway is Senior Partner with Career Aviators, a social purpose business that directs all profit to innovative youth leadership initiative in Guelph. He is passionate about helping people to find jobs in which they will excel, value highly and love to do. Learn more